Interesting facts about our beloved (cattle) animals.

It may be common knowledge by now that cows aren't purple outside of advertisements; however, numerous "real" secrets about local farm animals are also waiting to be discovered during a farm holiday.

There are approximately two million cattle in Austria. The roughly 63,500 farms that keep cattle have an average of 24 animals per barn – this can be described as "small-scale livestock farming" with hardly any industrial characteristics.

Depending on their purpose, cattle are divided into dairy and beef cattle. The majority of Austrian farmers focus on a combination of milk and meat production and therefore keep the well-known Simmental breed (Fleckvieh), which is well-suited for both purposes, in about 80% of cases. (cf. http://www.bmlfuw.gv.at/land/produktion-maerkte/tierische-produktion/rinder-schweine-usw/Rinder.html).

There is a wide variety of cattle breeds, bearing names such as "Pinzgauer," "Red Friesian," or "Belgian Blue." Among them are not only "specialists" in terms of milk production or growth, but also those that are simply particularly robust. The shaggy Highland cattle cope very well with the low temperatures and steep slopes of high-altitude regions.

Don't be fooled by their docile and cuddly appearance. While cattle are generally considered good-natured, they are always ready to defend their herd – especially if there are vulnerable young animals among them and they are confronted by strangers (possibly even accompanied by a dog). To avoid dangerous confrontations, you should treat cattle with respect and not disturb them while they are grazing – everyone benefits most from this!

(cf. Buchgraber, pp. 28f.)